"UNO!!" Charlie exclaimed as he put his arms up in the air and did a little celebration dance.
HOW? Literally, how? How did this boy do it? Nick thought.
"Literally, how do you always win?" he said in disbelief. "You definitely cheated!"
"Oh yeah? How?" Charlie asked in a playful way.
"W-well yeah. You probably have some secret stash of cards hidden in your sleeves."
Nick took Charlie's right hand and started to tap against his underarm. "C'mon, show me those sleeves. Prove you're not guilty."
Charlie pulled his arm back. He was trying to come up with a witty response. But Nick took his arm again before he could say anything.
"NICK, NOOOO," he screamed dramatically.
"I'm sorry sir, but if you don't want to cooperate we'll have to force the truth out of you with tickles or lots of kisses," Nick said in a semi-serious voice. "It's the law."
Sarah was still seated on the opposite side of the dinner table. She had a front-row seat to Nick and Charlie's very obvious flirting. It was a bit unbearable to watch sometimes, but she loved seeing these two boys happy as well. And it was good to see Nick smile after such a heavy day.
She interrupted their very obvious flirting. "You boys want to play another round?"
"Yeah! But I'll have to go to the toilet first."
Charlie stood up and walked towards the hallway, leaving Nick and Sarah alone in the kitchen.
Oh shit. This is exactly what Nick didn't want.
He started to shut down again and stared at the table.
"Nicky?"
"Hm?"
Sarah took Nick's hand, which made him look up at her. She smiled at him. It was a warm and welcoming smile. As if to say: 'I'm here for you Nicky, you can trust me.'
She looked at him for a couple of seconds, but to Nick, it felt like hours. One side of him was still in full-on panic mode, but the look that Sarah gave him also comforted him and made him feel safe.
"You don't have to tell me anything, but I just want to make sure that you know you can. If you want to, of course. I'm here if you need me."
Nick responded with a faint smile.
"I love you, Nicky."
"Love you too, mum."
Sarah reached over the table and gave Nick a hug.
"Come, give me your cards. I'll shuffle them."
YOU ARE READING
When I Look Into Your Eyes (An AU Heartstopper Story)
RomanceNick and Charlie are both in university. Nick is in his last year and is about to graduate, while Charlie still has 1,5 years of uni left. Even though they're attending different schools in different cities, their relationship is still as strong as...
